Social Action Council

Coordinates FUSN’s efforts to put our faith into action through social justice work in our communities and wider world. Members are active in five different task forces and welcome people’s participation at any level in these as well as new projects. The Social Action Council (SAC), which is comprised of coordinators of all task forces, co-chairs, treasurer, secretary and liaisons, meets with the full committee once a month and these meetings are open to all in the congregation.We nurture our spirits and put our faith into action through social justice work in our communities and the wider world. FUSN members are proud of our many decades of social action, yet so much remains to be done. In the hope of making our efforts simple, transparent, and accessible, FUSN’s 30+ Social Action groups are divided into Five Task Forces. Please email socialaction@fusn.org with any ideas, questions, or if you want to be involved!

Advocacy Task Force

Mission: Most social action rescues the victims of our flawed system. Advocacy aims to address and change the root causes of these problems, through education, grassroots activism, and by influencing legislators and other decision makers. Contact person: Peter Smith

Economic and Racial Justice Task Force

Mission: Working with partner organizations to increase economic and social justice and power within low-income communities in Boston. Contact persons: Josie Greene and Judy Friedman

Criminal Justice Task Force

Mission: Help those who are incarcerated re-vision their lives in a positive direction. Educate ourselves about life behind bars. Become advocates for a humane criminal justice system. Contact person: Nancy Wrenn

Hunger and Homelessness Task Force

International Partnerships Task Force

Mission: Establish and nurture mutually beneficial, egalitarian working relationships with organizations and/or individuals doing work to support members of our human family around the globe. Contact person: Dick Bail

Black Lives Matter Group

For many Unitarian Universalist individuals and congregations, the #BlackLivesMatter Movement (BLM) has brought a renewed and needed urgency to organize for racial justice. Since the fall of 2015, many of us at FUSN have been engaged in conversation about this topic. As the Multicultural Ministry group afforded us with opportunities to examine our white privilege and racialized American history, our BLM group has asked the question of how we might amplify the voices of the oppressed and show up in partnership, which is what the UUA’s Standing On the Side of Love campaign calls us to do.

One of the ways that UU congregations are working to show up for racial justice is by displaying a BLM banner outside their building. We will be officially dedicating our banner after our service on June 12, 2016.

To say that “Black lives matter” doesn’t mean that black lives are more important than other lives, or that all lives don’t matter. The systemic devaluing of Black lives calls us to bear witness, even as we acknowledge that oppression takes many intersecting forms. (UUA website). We would like to invite you to engage with us on the subject of racial justice and offer a number of opportunities to do so. Participating in dialogue, hearing people’s feedback, and staying in right relationship with one another is essential to understanding racial justice issues and what it means to Stand on the Side of Love. To join the conversation, contact us at: fusn4blm@gmail.com.

Our Next Service

First Unitarian Society in Newton

Meet Our Minister

Rev. Erin Splaine has been FUSN's minister since 2010. Since the early 1990s, she has served in more than 30 roles working with UU societies and groups. Committed to social justice and spiritual growth, Rev. Splaine offers continual inspiration and support to the entire FUSN community and beyond.

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